Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team closed out the regular season with a split against St. Joseph's-L.I. on Senior Day Sunday afternoon. The Knights dropped the final conference decision of the series 5-4 before taking game two of Sunday's set by a score of 12-3. Freshman Sofia Gannon (East Patchogue, N.Y.) drove in a pair of runs in each game for the Knights.
 
Game 1: St. Joseph's-L.I. 5 – Mount Saint Mary 4
After getting swept by the Knights on Friday, St. Joseph's scored twice in its first at-bat on Sunday to take an early 2-0 lead. Kassandra Tibbetts drove a two-run home run to right center field to open the scoring in the first inning.
 
The Golden Eagles expanded their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning after Lauren Crawford singled and advanced to third on a misplay in right field. Lindsay Ness promptly singled up the middle to give the visitors a three-run advantage.
 
Mount Saint Mary got on the board in the fourth, plating two runs to get to within 3-2 with three-at-bats left. With runners on first and third, Lauren Farina (Niskayuna, N.Y.) doubled to left center field to plate Samantha Bendig (Bellmore, N.Y.) with the team's first run. Gannon followed with a single down the third base line to deliver Jessica Ehret (Broad Channel, N.Y.) with the second run of the inning.
 
After St. Joseph's tacked on a run in the top of the fifth, Mount Saint Mary evened the score at 4-4 with two tallies in the home half of the sixth. Gannon doubled home Nicole Rosner (Brewster, N.Y.) with one out in the inning before Farina scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Riley Norwood (East Haven, Conn.).
 
St. Joseph's got back in front in the seventh when Crawford doubled home a run with one out in the inning. Mount Saint Mary put the tying run on base in the seventh, but was unable to move it off of first base.
 
Laura Dentato (Farmingdale, N.Y.), Farina and Gannon all finished the opener with two hits for the Knights with Gannon driving in two runs. Farina scored a run and drove in one with Bendig and Ehret scoring the other runs for the Knights.
 
Crawford finished game one 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for the visitors with Jenna DeFina finishing 2-for-4 with two runs out of the leadoff spot for the Golden Eagles.
 
Bridget Morris (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) suffered the loss in the circle for the Knights, working her seventh complete game of the season. She surrendered three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six. Patricia McGloin earned the win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in a complete game effort.
 
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 12 – St. Joseph's-L.I. 3 (5 innings)
The Mount rebounded quickly in game two scoring all 12 of its runs in the first two innings of the contest. The Knights took advantage of four errors in the first frame, scoring four times on just one base hit. Victoria Santamauro (Eastchester, N.Y.) drove in a run in the inning on a fielder's choice and Ehret delivered Melanie McClinchey (Medford, N.Y.) with a two-out single.
 
Mount Saint Mary added eight more runs in the second, recording five hits and taking advantage of two more Golden Eagle errors. Morgan O'Neill (Little Falls, N.J.) and Gannon ripped back-to-back run scoring doubles in the frame to open the scoring with Ehret driving in a run with a bases loaded walk. Nicole Palmer (Monroe, N.Y.) added a two-run double and Rosner singled home Ehret to give the Knights a 10-0 lead. Palmer later scored on an error with Rosner crossing with the final run of the inning after Gannon drew a bases loaded walk.
 
Rosner finished game two 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored with O'Neill and Gannon each posting a hit and two runs scored. Palmer, Santamauro and Ehret all finished with a hit, run and at least one RBI in the contest.
 
O'Neill picked up her second win of the season in the circle, working two scoreless innings that featured a strikeout. Olivia Ferara (Middletown, N.Y.) added two scoreless innings of relief for the Knights.
 
Sunday's split moves Mount Saint Mary to 16-10 overall on the season and to 12-8 in league play. By virtue of Manhattanville's sweep of St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, the Knights have clinched the fourth seed in next weekend's Skyline Conference Championship.